The Lost Girl and the Man of the Sea
by Swallowyourspit
Summary: There was once a young woman, seduced by the sea and the mysterious man who emerged from it. The story of how Poseidon and Sally met and what transpired between them.
1. The Man of the Sea

**A/N: **Thanks for visiting! There is a large possibility that there will be more chapters to this. I really appreciate reviews.

Also, I own nothing, obviously :)

It was a beautiful day. In a very unconventional way one wouldn't typically expect from the summer beach. The sun was partially obscured by wisps of foggy cloud, the sky was a crisp blue-grey, and the water was clear. A light breeze trilled across the silky ocean water, placing ripples that chased the wind. The beach was nearly empty, void of the usual sandcastle making children, sun tanning students, and haggard parents.

Sally inhaled the salty sea air, closing her eyes and letting her whole body become consumed by the oceanic atmosphere. She loved the beach and its rugged beauty; the stench of brine and fish, the humid salty air, the rough particles of sand that stuck to her legs. It was all a much-needed distraction from the overwhelming pain and responsibility that grounded her to this world.

Tuning the page of the paperback novel she had brought, Sally adjusted her position on her beach towel and continued to read. She could stay there for hours consumed with fictitious realities and the tempered ocean mist.

Even years later, Sally couldn't say what it was that made her look up from her book, for the man rising out of the calm ocean surf did not make a sound. Maybe it was the breeze that quickened, excited by his arrival, or the sudden stillness of the waves, or the way her skin prickled and the back of her neck itched with a peculiar feeling. If she hadn't looked up, perhaps she wouldn't have noticed the enormous trident parting the waves, or the eerie, iridescent, timeless silhouette of a man emerging from the sea. As it was, his peculiar form changed the second he stepped foot onto the beach. As if he could read her suspicion, his head turned toward her and although she would've normally done everything in her power to keep him from noticing her curiosity, she could not pry her gaze from him.

The man turned his attention to her, the lone visitor on the beach and slowly, deliberately began his way toward her. Sally suddenly became hyper self-conscious of her wildly curling hair, her freckled sun kissed skin, and the terribly clichéd novel she was reading. Although the thought of this strange man-of-the-sea coming toward her should incite fear and uncertainty, Sally could not seem to muster the appropriate emotions. Instead, she assessed the man whose walk suggested someone who had never experience feelings of inadequacy, doubt, or guilt. His aura, sensible even from so far away, was arrogant and cocky. This realization seemed to snap Sally out of her reverie and she immediately decided that this man would not tread all over her as he had probably done to countless others.

Having grown up in New York, Sally was familiar with this self-entitled archetype. Those who thought the world existed to serve them, they had lived their lives being handed everything they had ever desired without realizing that there was a species of people out there who had given up everything and had received nothing in return. As a member of the latter group, Sally had sworn that her association with this archetype would be done so ironically, obligatory, or not at all.

Her new resolve met its first test when the stranger came to stand before her, his appearance obscured by the blinding sunshine.

"Lovely day to be sunbathing." He remarked, his voice sonorous and wild.

Sally had a retort poised on her tongue when she realized that he was right. The sun had emerged from its cloudy covering, stretching long hungry tendrils of warm rays across the glittering surf.

"It's a shame." She remarked idly.

"And why is that?" He sounded genuinely confused at her remark.

"The sun always brings people who are seduced by only the superficial beauty of the ocean." _People like you._

"And I assume _you_ don't fall in the category?" He retorted, sensing her dry and clipped tone.

"I prefer the solitude and the simple beauties of nature. The ocean has so much more to offer than sun and water and wild waves."

"Oh? Like what?" She failed to detect the subtle humor seeping into his voice.

"Like…" She grasped at something that would bring justice to the ocean she loved so much. Suddenly self conscious of revealing too much of herself and of her personal quiet place, she quickly recovered. "Like things that my words would not do any justice were I to describe them to you." She replied. Fed up with the conversation, Sally picked up her book, hoping this cue would alert this impertinent stranger to her obvious disinterest. He only seemed amused however and, unseen by Sally; a smile slowly grew on his face.

"What's your name?" He asked, his voice suddenly soft but not losing any of its wild lilt.

For a second, Sally considered giving in and telling this mysterious man her name, to lose her precocious and indifferent demeanor and simply give in. After all, she was being awfully judgmental making all of these assumptions about a man she had met less than a minute earlier. Perhaps he was a nice, intelligent guy. Maybe her eyes were playing ticks on her. Maybe he didn't rise out of the ocean carrying a frightening archaic weapon. He was probably just on summer vacation, wishing to experience peace and solitude before returning to a life of chaos. She scolded herself then, for being so rigid and critical. She was on a much-needed vacation. She should enjoy it and take advantage of this opportunity to finally be carefree and young. Suddenly overcome by a desire to leave her old uptight persona behind, she leaned back on her palms, tilted her head back, and answered.

"I'm Sally Jackson."

The stranger's head shifted to the side, sending a blast of bright sunlight into Sally's eyes, temporarily blinding her. Blinking back the spots in her vision, Sally peered up at the face her mysterious man-of-the-sea. His eyes, an unsettling reciprocation of the sea's own color, glittered excitedly.

"I'm Poseidon."


	2. Acquaintances

**A/N:** Thank's for the views!

Without waiting for an invitation, Poseidon sat down next to Sally. In such close proximities, Sally suddenly felt incredible inferior next to him. He seemed to dwarf her, his long muscular legs extending far past her own. He mimicked her posture, leaning back on his arms, his head tilted back. He looked out at the ocean pensively and she couldn't help but notice the ghost of a smile on his face, suggesting carefree, simple contemplation.

_Poseidon. God of the ocean, sea storms, earthquakes. Huh. Explains the trident. _Sally realized that she had spoken this last thought aloud when Poseidon's head swiveled to face her, a curious expression on his face.

"You saw my trident?"

"Well… Sometimes.. I.."

"You can be honest with me, Sally." And for some reason, she believed him.

Her entire life, Sally had been politely ignoring the strange occurrences and unexplainable things she saw. While the normal reaction to seeing something not visible to anyone else to question one's sanity, Sally learned at an early age not to question what she witnessed. She had long dismissed it all as her overactive imagination. And she had learned, most painfully, not to mention it to anyone. Instead, she filed it away and let it fuel her imagination. She kept a notebook where she wrote everything down; all the strange creatures and exchanges. One day, she promised herself, she would write a book about it all. About monsters, and heroes, and adventures, things that didn't exist in real life.

But what if all these things she saw weren't the product of childhood fantasies? While she once thought the things she saw would extinguish with age, they had only seemed to appear more often as she grew older. And this meeting with the man-of-the-sea only seemed to solidify what she had always secretly hoped might be true. _Maybe there really is more to this world._

"I saw you rise from the sea." She began matter-of-factly. "The waves parted for you and you... you weren't.." She balanced on one hand and used the other to gesture at him. "You weren't you."

He seemed to sense that she wasn't finished. "Go on."

"The birds, they were silent. Everything was silent. Then, all at once, they all seemed to react. The wind, the sea, it all embraced you! Welcomed you." She stopped short, suddenly embarrassed.

He gave her a small thoughtful smile. "You're very astute, Sally Jackson. Astute and poetic."

Sally was very keenly aware that he had not denied any of this but she remained silent on the matter, waiting for him to press it, if at all.

Poseidon directed his gaze back towards the ocean and when he spoke Sally had to listen hard to catch his words before the wind stole them. "Do you come here often, Sally?"

"Whenever I can. I used to come here every summer with my parents. But after… Well... I don't get here very often anymore."

Poseidon could sense significant meaning behind her words. It didn't take anyone particularly sensitive to notice that Sally Jackson was much more than she appeared. He had already begun to whittle away at the tough exterior at which she shrouded herself in, and despite the raw pain he could tell bubbled beneath the surface, he liked what he saw.

"I agree with you." He said suddenly.

Sally looked over at him, confused, not aware she had said anything that required agreement.

"The ocean has so much more to offer than the sun and the water and the wild waves. The 'superficial beauties', as you call it, only satiate people of the same nature. But for those who are willing to endure her more savage personality traits, the ocean can reveal herself to you in marvelously unexpected ways."

She smiled at this.

"Sally, Will you consent to meet me tomorrow?" He questioned, his wild eyes meeting hers.

"Are you going to show me her more 'savage personality traits?" She asked playfully.

"Why of course!" He matched her tone impeccably.


	3. Delaying the Sunrise

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites!

Comments boost my self-esteem :)

The time in which Poseidon had requested to meet Sally was before sunrise. The sky was a crisp dark blue, sunlight not yet teasing from beneath the horizon. Gulls called hopelessly into the brisk morning breeze and the restless tide lapped at the shore.

Sally left her rental cabin and began the walk to where she had met Poseidon the day before. The closer she came, however, the more her nerves began to act up. _What am I doing here? Meeting some stranger who calls himself "Poseidon". He must be crazy! I must be crazy! I am clearly delusional. This is just going to be another mistake, another regret that I will never live down._

She was just about to turn back when she heard a voice call her name, powerful despite the wind.

"Sally!" Relief flooded her when she saw he wasn't arriving from the sea this time and she knew that she had missed her opportunity to flee. Still full of uncertainty, she walked down the sandy dunes to where he was waiting for her.

Poseidon appeared very much the way he had the previous day, with his strong jaw, his defined figure, and his tall commanding presence. However, his eyes, yesterday matching the glittering clear green water, were today reflections of the dark early morning surf.

"Follow me. We have to hurry if we want to make it on time." He insisted.

She followed him without asking questions and although they walked in silence, it wasn't awkward at all. They trudged back up the shoreline and began a steady climb following a twisty path that wound around a steep hill. The sandy incline soon turned to grass which in turn changed into a rocky cliff face and just when Sally thought she couldn't go any farther, they crested the hill and what she saw took her breath away.

The dark blue sky had given away to a flushed rosy hue, alight from the sun that had begun to peak over the horizon. The ocean glittered a fantastic midnight blue, contrasting against the sky in the most brilliant way. She was certain that her mouth was agape in awe and she couldn't speak, only watch as the sky's pink tinged gave way to orange as the sun slowly rose higher in the sky.

The silence was finally broken by Poseidon's soft, strong voice. "I wasn't sure we'd make it in time... But I put in a good word to make the sunrise last as long as possible."

It was those words, so casual and off hand, that snapped Sally out of her trance.

"It's all true then?" She asked tilting her head to look up at him. He didn't answer right away so she went on. "Poseidon. God of the sea. Earth shaker. Tamer of horses."

He grinned at the last one. "Most people forget about the horses."

Sally's heart fluttered. She didn't know if it was because he had confirmed her suspicions or because she was afraid that "most people" were more innocent, solitary women he had lured to his cliff.

"I think I could tell." She began slowly. "Yesterday when you came out of the ocean, I could tell you were not entirely human."

"It's a gift you have, your sight. I can assure that most mortals would not have seen what you saw yesterday. What they would believe exactly is a mystery to me but surely it wasn't a god rising up out of the surf carrying a trident." He chuckled.

"Mortals." She clung to the word, how weird it sounded in context. _Mortals. _"So what your saying is that… everything as we, us mortals, know it is… false?"

Poseidon chuckled. "More or less. You're taking this surprisingly well."

"Well I guess when you're used to seeing one-eyed beasts,"

"Cyclops."

"…and giant demon dogs"

"Hellhounds."

"…Picking fights with human horse hybrids,"

"Centaurs."

"…You either begin to believe you're crazy or there's something else going on in the world… I took solace in believing the latter."

He grinned and turned to face her full on. The sun was almost completely visible now, the most awe-inspiring part of the show replaced with whitewashed pink skies.

"You're not crazy, Sally Jackson. You're extraordinary."


	4. The Next Step

**A/N: **Extra thanks and gratitude to all you lovely people and your reviews.

...

The next few days felt unreal, straight out of a cheesy romance novel: an ordinary girl who had suffered loss and pain, meets an extraordinary, not to mention extremely attractive, man, who takes a special interest in her. Oh yea, and he just so happens to be a Greek god.

Their mornings were spent watching the sunrise. Their afternoons were long walks through tide, the water tickling their ankles. Their evenings were wine driven conversation, embarrassingly honest, raw, and real.

Poseidon would laugh at all of her crazy questions about the immortal world and he would retaliate with ones about her own existence. They would wade out into the surf and he would summon dolphins and beautiful horse-headed-fish-tailed creatures he called "hippocampi".

That was how their days went.

...

One night, with the ocean's sonorous tide whispering in the background, Sally and Poseidon sat on the beach, a nearly empty bottle of rich red wine inducing a conversation that switched between honestly and playful banter.

"If you could do anything in this world, Sally Jackson, what would you do?" Poseidon's loud voice boomed over the quiet beach.

Sally's face was flushed from the wine they had consumed and it made her honest without embarrassment. "I would write."

He cocked his head, intrigued.

She laughed nervously. "I used to love to write. It was my best subject in school. I wanted to go to university to study literature and creative writing, maybe work for a publisher before I could write my own stuff."

"Why didn't you?" Poseidon asked, his voice softer now.

It was a topic she usually avoided. It was too painful to think about; all those things she had wanted, why she gave them up, and why her altruism had only left her with nothing. When people heard her story, they pitied her, and that made her feel weak and inferior to them. But Poseidon didn't pity, and despite his obvious superiority, he never treated her that way.

"My parents died, when I was five, in a plane crash. So I went to live with my uncle Richard, and although he was a great guy, he was in no emotional, physical, or finical state to raise a child. When I was sixteen, Rich was diagnosed with cancer and I dropped out of school my senior year to take care of him. After he died, I got my GED and planned on going to college, but he had left me no money so I've been trying to work to raise money for school. One day," She took a resolute deep breath. "One day I _will_ go to school, and I will learn to write, and I will write a novel about a lost little girl who began to consort with a ridiculous man-of-the-sea."

Poseidon laughed at that, a good hardy laugh, one that was strong and powerful and contagious.

And that was how their nights went.

...

Sally could never really pinpoint the exact moment, but somewhere during their poetic days, she realized she had fallen in love. It was so humiliating for her to confront. Sally had never been in love before. Yes, she had had boyfriends and crushes, even serious relationships. But as someone who was all too familiar with loss and betrayal, she would not let herself become that attached to someone. She never wanted to lose someone ever again.

The fact that she had fallen in love with a Greek god was even more ridiculous. She imagined what her friends would say. Laugh at her, no doubt. Joke and ask if he was good in bed (not that she would know) and make her reveal everything about the man who had finally tamed the wild Sally Jackson. It was just too humiliating to confront.

Whether or not it was his supernatural godly omnipotence or simple perception, Poseidon observed this sudden change and reservation in Sally. His abrupt halt in a lengthy anecdote about how sea creatures were _far_ more magnificent than anything that could fly went unnoticed by Sally as she continued to be completely absorbed in her thoughts. He watched her for a few moments before catching one of her stray curls and tucking it behind her ear.

"What are you thinking about?"

Sally sighed. "Just how stupid I am."

He looked at her curiously.

"I'm not dense Poseidon. I know that absolutely nothing will ever come of this. You're a god. A deity! And I'm just some worthless mortal!"

"You're not worthless to me, Sally."

"Stop it! You're not making this any easier." She suddenly stood up, eager to put distant between them. "I.. I can't do this to myself…" He began to protest. "No just listen to me. I have lost too much in life. My parents. My uncle. My future. I literally have nothing. And I don't want to lose anything ever again. But this past week… It's been… It's been fantastic. And it's reminded me that there are other things worth living for. I know that nothing can ever come of this… But... But I want it… Does that make me irrationally stupid?"

Poseidon looked at her for a long time, not saying anything. Then he stood up, remaining where he was with a good ten feet between them. "Sally, you are the most perceptive, rational, person that I have _ever_ met. I will never lie to you. I can't, because I am far too fond of you to do so. You're right, nothing can ever come this, even if I wanted it to. There are…" He glanced uneasily at the sky, "Complications… But Sally, I see you, better than you see yourself. You try to deny yourself pleasure because you don't want to get hurt again. But what kind of life is that? A life without enjoyment and purpose will only bring you regret when it is too late for you to do anything about it. If you want something, take it. Because for everything you have given, you deserve something for yourself. And I can give that to you."

Sally didn't even stop to think about what he had said; she just closed the distance between them as quickly as possible.


	5. Temper like the Sea

**A/N:** Thanks again for the reviews! I'm finally getting to the good stuff, I promise. Sorry it's a little dull and fluffy (?), I'm hoping to squeeze in some angst and action in a few chapters.

It makes my day reading your reviews and thoughts!

...

The sunrise stirred Sally from her blissful sleep. When she remembered where she was and what had happened, she smiled. His touches, so gentle and desperate; his rough lips against her own; the things he whispered in her ear. She had never been happier in her entire life.

She turned over on her side, embarrassingly happy to find him still beside her, watching her with peaceful happy eyes.

"You're still here." She murmured.

He smiled. "Of course I am." And he took her face in his hands and kissed her hungrily.

...

Despite her coming to terms with the reality of the situation, the more time Sally spent with Poseidon, the more she began to regret the informality of it all. She promised herself that she wouldn't over think the whole matter. _This is just a summer fling, nothing more._ But the truth was, to Sally it wasn't. Poseidon wasn't the typical victim of a fly-by summer romance; just some rich trust fund baby, misunderstood and longing for a taste of another life or a dropout surfing lowlife. He was a _Greek god_, in every way imaginable.

If she wasn't careful, Sally's thoughts would slip into forbidden territory. She would daydream of her life if all these snags and impediments weren't there to complicate it. She imagined taking Poseidon home to meet her friends. They would tease her about how she gave in to her one promise, and then they would swoon and gossip once they actually saw him. She pictured introducing him to her town, to the little diner where she waitressed, showing him her favorite spots, making him try every flavor of ice cream at her favorite sweets shop. Inwardly she laughed at this mental image. Greek gods weren't meant to be domesticated. Poseidon was as wild as the sea, his very nature tossed and turned like the waves she loved so much. Although he was tranquil and sweet most of the time, there were moments where the peace in his eyes would snap like the sudden onset of a sea storm. The worst was when she brought up the harmless, or so she though, subject of godly/mortal relationships.

"I just think it's funny how incredibly adulterous the Greek gods have always been!" She laughed one day as she worked to keep her balance on the edge of the boardwalk they were strolling on. "It seems like they go through all this work to secure the perfect spouse only turn around and get caught with _someone else_, and of course that always brings on even more trouble! I mean _you_ technically have a wife don't you?"

Sally didn't seem to notice how Poseidon's posture had grown ridged, how his jaw clenched, and how his hand had grown hard in hers.

"Yes." He answered shortly.

"And yet, here you are. And then of course there's the whole godly mortal child thing that goes on. Demigods, right? They only seem to exist to cause trouble, mess with the gods, and fix the gods' problems. And have you ever noticed that they never have happy endings? They all end up screwed in the end! Wouldn't just be better if the gods didn't have children with mortals?"

This last comment seemed to shatter the calm illusion Sally's rant had brought upon him. "That would never work you know." Poseidon snapped. "Keeping gods from having demigod children is essentially saying that they can't have relationships with mortals. That would mean all this," Poseidon gestured at her then himself. "Shouldn't have happened! Would you like that Sally? Because it seems to me, that this 'consortion' has done you a lot of good. When I met you, you were just some depressed, lost, rigid girl who was against feeling anything remotely close to even _liking_ anyone of the opposite sex." His voice continued to grow in intensity. "So no. Forcing gods swear a pact not to have demigod children is impractical and preposterous!"

Sally was silent. She didn't how to respond. Poseidon looked over at her and seemed to notice how his words had affected her. He stopped walking and took her face in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Sally. That wasn't.." He sighed. "That wasn't about you. You just hit a nerve I guess."

"I guess." She answered tersely.

They continued their walk down the boardwalk, silence lingering awkwardly between them. Sally suddenly felt the massive difference between the two of them, it stretched like a chasm, unable to be breached, even by their past connection.

"Perseus." Poseidon said suddenly.

"What?"

"You said all demigod's have unhappy endings. Perseus didn't. He lived a long and happy life, achieved Elysium, and even ended up as a constellation." He sighed. "I guess there are exceptions to every rule."

...

Despite their rocky argument the previous day, the sunrise seemed to bring things back to normal, something Sally was immensely grateful for. Sally then realized that the meaning of the word "normal" had changed so drasticly in the past few weeks to mean something entirely different than what she would have previously considered ordinary. Poseidon was right, his presence _had_ changed her.


	6. By Summer's End

**A/N- **This chapter is two parts; two cute little one shots to wrap up the mushy fluff of Sally's summer before things gets rough and angsty. I'm sorry if it makes no sense, bare with me, I was feeling philosophical...

Also, Thank you guys SO MUCH for reading/reviewing/rolling your eyes at my story. If you like it, if you don't, even if you don't have an opinion, please leave a review. I guarantee it will make my day.

**Part 1 – A religious Experience (Existential Dilemmas)**

Sally's time with Poseidon taught her a few essential things about romantic relationships. Firstly, that arguments, not serious conflict-of-interest ones, but vigorous clashing-of-opinions ones, were at the root of healthy relationships. She tried imagining her days if she agreed with everything Poseidon said, and vice versa. However, these fantasies were too dull for her to indulge in for very long and she concluded that maybe the reason why Poseidon had put up with her for so long was because she _did_ challenge him, just as he challenged her.

The second thing she had learned was that the best relationships did not tip-toe around massive secrets. This, she knew did not qualify her and Poseidon's relationship as healthy at all, rather the opposite. Poseidon kept a whole litter of secrets from her. Most of these couldn't be helped, she supposed, but some, like the subject of demigods, were sore topics that sent Poseidon into a tricky temper.

Thirdly, Sally learned that the best relationships were ones in which a future existed for both members of the couple. A future that both artners actively participated in shaping, creating and dreaming about.

Sally realized that her relationship only satisfied one of these qualifications.

It was an important thing for her to consider: If all signs pointed to the eventual termination of her and Poseidon's "unhealthy" relationship, wouldn't it just be better for her to end it now, before she was too involved? But the truth was, Sally was already too involved. It wasn't until years later when she realized just how involved she really was. But the timing of this realization was impeccable, for it was at that moment when she knew she absolutely did not regret anything that had transpired that summer (but more on that later).

Because she was not allowed to picture a future for her and Poseidon, Sally considered their relationship beneficial in other ways, in order to justify her decision to prolong it. For instance, Poseidon always challenged her personal views. Sally had never considered herself "religious", per say, but she had always believed in "Something", even if she didn't really know what that "Something" was. Poseidon's very existence seemed to either support or deny these believes and she very much enjoyed debating this topic with him…

"I still can't wrap my head around it all… The whole Greek mythology thing…"

"What about it?"

"Well I guess… If Greek gods are real, doesn't that just extinguish all other belief systems? To know that the world is operated by a system of twelve supreme deities, doesn't that make all other gods and religious systems obsolete? I mean no one really religiously practices Greek polytheism these days. It's just weird to think that, although everyone believes that their beliefs are the right ones… No one's is."

Poseidon sighed. "You have a point. A very astute one. But I think the thing about, _us_, is that, 'Greek polytheism', as you call it, isn't really a religion. It's a belief system. The gods serve the purpose of defining unexplainable events. We act as a source of human retribution, assistance, blame, and praise, because mortals need to believe that something bigger then them exists. They need someone to blame when things go wrong and someone to thank when things go right. You're correct in saying that no one really consciously practices Greek religion to date, but that doesn't mean the gods are any less involved. We will continue to intervene when we need to, stir up trouble when we're bored, and humans will continue believing in what they need to believe in order to satiate their need to put their faith in a superior power."

"But if this isn't a religion, then what's the point?"

"What more are religions than just guidelines for ways to live?" Poseidon inquired. "So many different religions preach that specific societal and cultural wrongdoings will guarantee a life in a less-than-pleasant eternity of suffering or hell; Drinking, war, lust, or other unspeakable sins will sign your one-way ticket to the land of eternal punishment. And all of these deities that these religions surround are perfect models of what a pure man should be. But the Greek gods? We never pretend to be pure. (Well, Zeus gets a little pompous but that's beside the point.) Our very manifestations speak against this 'pure life' practice. Dionysus _invented_ wine and promiscuity! Ares is the god of _warfare_ and _battle lust_, and nearly every god is guilty of infidelity and adultery, as you have already pointed out." He smiled slyly. "Yes, we stand for pure and moral things as well as the normal mechanisms of nature, but Greek culture was all about living life to the fullest."

"And everyone ends up in the Underworld."

"Well, essentially yes, but that's a whole other situation you would have to take up with Hades." He chuckled then suddenly turned solemn. "But I would rather you wouldn't."

Sally laughed at his sudden change in expression.

**Part 2 – Something to Remember Me by**

Sometimes, in the light of the waning sun or the groggy rising one, Sally would take out her journal and write while Poseidon would watch her from between the sheets. He never asked her what she wrote about but contented himself with watching her face as she scratched her thoughts down on the paper. When he got bored he would trace his rough fingers up her bare leg, his eyes remaining on hers until she would squeal for him to stop. She would slap his hands away and raise her eyebrows in mock anger and he would take her face in his hands and kiss her frown lines away.

One morning, when Sally awoke alone and contented herself with a cup of coffee, her book, and her solidarity on the porch of her cabin, Poseidon arrived with a plain brown package tucked underneath his arm.

"Sally Jackson." He announced solemnly as he came to sit by her on the porch. "I come bearing gifts."

She laughed as his ridiculous expression and the idea that a Greek god had actually brought her a present.

"I didn't realize this was a sad occasion." She matched his tone.

He frowned and leaned against the porch railing across from her. "It is indeed. I came to the realization last night that another dear soul has reached the end of its admirable time on this planet. Its term of service is almost up. Soon, the bell will toll, the string will be snipped, and the Fates will come for it."

Sally raised her eyebrows in response to his dramatic lament.

"Your journal." He explained. "You're on the last page."

Realization dawn in Sally followed by a feeling she identified as being oddly touched that he had noticed this or even cared about it.

"So," He continued without giving her a chance to respond. "Although I'm sure your journal has served you well, an admirable as it was, I have to admit that it was a bit… how should I put this… shabby. So I have brought you this which I hope will serve as a worthy replacement."

Poseidon handed Sally the package and she tore the brown paper slowly and methodically. Underneath she found handsome leather bound journal, with thick paper stock pages, hand crafted binding, and her name engraved on the cover. It was the kind of journal the Sally would be too terrified to write in; for fear of spoiling its unsullied pages. It did indeed put her old journal to shame. An old composition book paled in comparison to this timeless journal that looked priceless, as if stolen from a moment in history. It was such a touching gift that Sally's throat swelled up with emotion and she found herself incapable of response. She became painfully aware of her reaction and embarrassed by it but when she looked up to Poseidon, she found his eyes soft and tender.

"Just a little something to remember me by, Sally." He said softy.

And she smiled.


	7. Only if I Have to

**A/N- Thanks for reading! Please review. :)**

Sally asked Poseidon to spend her second to last day alone. As she stood facing the vast expanse of ocean, she pondered everything she had learned over the last few blissful weeks. Poseidon had mused that she had taken this new concept of reality rather smoothly. Sally figured perhaps he was right, and although he might he might contribute her easy acceptance to her gift of extraordinary sight (something he called being able to see through the Mist) Sally thought maybe it was because, deep down, she had always believed there has to be more than what the common person believed the world consisted of.

She wiggled her goes in the sand and watched as a wave of cool crisp water collided with her toes emerging her ankles in water. The undertow sucked the water back, and Sally shifted her weight under the sand that succumbed to the force of the ocean current. She stood this way for quite sometime, lost in thought when she realized that she was quite a bit further out than she had originally been, as if the sheer magnetic force of the ocean had slowly hypnotized her, pulling her in.

Science had never been her best subject in school. Sally hated how it stripped away life's mysteries and replaced them with confusing explanations that needed even further explaining. Although she knew that ocean currents had something to do with earth's gravitational field and the moon, it just seemed so much more quixotic to imagined a troubled man, who, somewhere in the back of his mind, had to remember to pull and push the tide.

Sally idly wondered If Poseidon knew that she stood on his beach right now, her feet in his waves, her heart aching for his. She wondered if he was keeping the ocean calm, the winds light, just for her. She wondered of she was on his mind at all, if she was really that important to him.

Deep in her heart, Sally knew that when she left Montauk the next day, she would have to leave Poseidon as well. For good. Her romance with him was simply a summer indulgence, like spa treatments, scuba divas, or guided tours. She couldn't subject herself to the emotional taxation that a long-term relationship with him would inevitably involve. When she left tomorrow, she would allow her feelings to be swept away with his morning tide.

But the more she thought of the dreadful "tomorrow" the more she began to fear it. She had always hated goodbyes, hated the separation, the awkward tension, the things she didn't say that she so clearly needed to. She had long since learned that goodbyes were worthless anyways. More often than not, Fate never allowed you a proper goodbye when the time came anyways, she simply ended things the way they were with no time for you to organize your affairs. Shallow, superficial goodbyes were for people who shared shallow, superficial experiences with others and if her relationship with Poseidon was anything, it certainly wasn't shallow or superficial.

Sally was suddenly seized with the thought that if she left now, right now, she could avoid the inevitable awkward goodbye. She wouldn't have to worry about his promise to visit that he would never fulfill or her inability to properly express the way she felt about him. The more she pondered this idea, the more it began to appeal to her and suddenly overcome by the ingenuity of her new plan, Sally resolved to return to her cabin, grab her bags, and leave immediately. She would return home, work hard and forget this had ever happened. She would forget Poseidon, forget all about him, lock every memory of him away and never revisit them again.

As if sensing her sudden intentions, the ocean began to swell around her. The low tide that had previously barely reached her ankles in its shoreward ascent now surged around her calves and the previously calm water seemed to turn hostile around her. The water ripped at her legs and its once peaceful embrace seemed to be pulling her out to sea. It took all of her strength and agility to maintain her balance on the unstable floor as she found the sandy incline constantly shifting under the rush of the suddenly desperate waves. Fear suddenly gripped Sally as she realized that the sudden sea squall had no intention of abating and as painfully close to the safety of the shore as she was, she could not move for fear of toppling into the rising water. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sally whispered desperately. The hair on her arms stood on end and the sudden drop in temperature caused her to shake although she wasn't sure if this was from the cold or shear terror. The absurdity of her situation seemed to hit her all at once and raw emotion flooded over her, impacting her more than the flood of water ever could. "I'm sorry!" She suddenly blurted to the sea. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Her shouts echoed over the vast expanse of stormy ocean and just as Sally sunk to her knees in utter defeat, the angry waves subsided and Sally found herself once again surrounded by calm ocean surf.

While Sally and Poseidon ate a picnic dinner on the beach that evening, there was no mention of what had transpired earlier that afternoon. In fact, Poseidon was so nonchalant and _normal_ that Sally began to fear that she had perhaps dreamed up the whole incident. Resolved not to let this experience, or delusion, color her last evening with Poseidon, Sally tried her best to push it from her mind, but she could still feel the ocean's greedy fingers grabbing her legs, refusing to let her go. It bothered her, her inability to drop the whole the thing and it occurred to her that it was because she had become to frightened at Poseidon's reaction to something that hadn't even happened. She hadn't actually done anything wrong. It was so very 1984, so very power abusive, and it really truly bothered her. She realized that there was no way she could just drop the whole thing when it clearly disturbed her so much and she decided to work her courage up to confront him about it.

"Sally." Poseidon interrupted her thoughts and she realized that she was still physically present, here, with him. "Sally I'm afraid I owe you vast and long due apology. Not only for what happened earlier today, which I am so utterly ashamed about, but for this whole summer. Firstly, do not misinterpret my apology as regret for what has occurred, for it is very far from that. When I met you, Sally, I had no intention of, well anything. I can honestly say I had no intentions. No good or bad ones, none at all. But you were so _you_ and that was so refreshing. So I planned just to spend time with you, because there's no harm in that. But then that escalated far past anything I had ever dreamed would happen between us. And this afternoon, when you planned on leaving, it made me realize that I couldn't just let you go like that. I believe that I have grossly underestimated your allure, your power over me."

He was looking down at his hands. For the first time, Poseidon seemed to lack the godly confidence Sally had come to expect from him. "I admire your intentions to leave and never give this summer a second thought, but I don't want you to do it because you feel like you have to be strong. Do it because you feel like you need to. Do it because it's the right thing. But if it isn't, I will always be there if you need me."

Sally fought the urge to submit to his sincere apology. Her mind raced at a speed she wasn't familiar with. "And where is that, Poseidon? Because it's nowhere I'm familiar with. In fact, I'm not familiar with any of this. There is no social script, no right-or-wrong thing to do when you're romantically involved with a Greek god. You suggest that I should stay with you because it will be _good_ for me, but have you ever considered that staying with you would do me even more harm?" Her voice remained steady but her throat felt tight, constricted. "You say you have grossly underestimated your feelings for me, but have you ever thought that maybe I felt the same way?" Tears began to pool up in her eyes and she furiously blinked them back., desperate to contain her composure. "Today, on the beach, was the _only_ time I felt I could truly walk away from all of this. Honest-to-God just leave it all behind. And you took that from me. You took advantage of your power and stole my free will. And I don't think I could ever stay in a relationship with someone who doesn't respect me enough to let me make my own independent decisions."

As she walked back up to cabin, forbidding herself from looking back at Poseidon, she marveled how similar the ocean and her tears tasted.


	8. Waiting to be Ready

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are what will get me through finals :) **

There seemed to be nothing in this world that could properly distract Sally from the festering wound that was her broken heart or the colossal disaster that was her mind. Despite trying to cram her schedule so full of activities that she wouldn't have time to wallow in her misery, Sally found that everything she did was so monotonous and menial that it only require half of her attention to focus on anyway.

The summer had damaged her, she had found. Not only her heart and her mind but it had also left her desiring a certain glamour that couldn't be found waiting tables and serving coffee. When she had left Poseidon on the beach, she had left behind his world, too and she missed it. Every once and a while, she would catch a glimpse of something behind the Mist. Her heart would thud and she would feel a few seconds of elation before whatever it was disappeared, taking her bliss with her.

She also longed for the ocean. The city was far too busy for her. Towering skyscrapers, inconsiderate locals, and suffocating smog gave her the distinct feeling of claustrophobia. Her heart ached for the vast freedom of the ocean, and the wild man who it belonged to.

Her monotonous, insipid days and long lonely nights left Sally feeling and full of remorse. She began to overthink everything, to regret everything, and these acute feelings threatened to smother her.

It was being on her own with no one to talk to. Just her and her feelings festering inside of her with no means of coping with them. For a while Sally tried writing about her experiences to help cope with what she had been through. Nothing explicit or detailed of course, mainly just her feelings and emotions and startling existential revelations born from her stimulating conversations with Poseidon. But every time she felt she had written something concise and genuine, she was met with feelings of dejection and failure when she read it back. Sally wondered if maybe the unintelligible feelings rolling around in her mind were not as complex and astute as she wanted them to be. On paper they appeared two-dimensional and bland when they were discernable at all. Sally began to fear that maybe this was a reflection on her. Maybe she wasn't really special or talented at all. Writing was designed for people who were innovative and original, who wrote things that other people would want to read. The things Sally had written made her out to be uneducated and slightly delusional.

This revelation coupled with the scars of recent heartbreak sent Sally into the kind of depression that she used to scoff at. Later, she would reflect that depression was something that was hard to look at from an outside perspective if one had never experienced it before. It used to be so easy for Sally to tell herself to toughen up and be strong but now she couldn't seem to find the motivation or reason behind doing anything at all.

Her friends didn't know what to do with her either. She couldn't tell them what was going on with her and to them she was acting aloof and bitchy. So they watched her spiral deeper and deeper into a pit of heartbreak and sorrow.

Weeks passed by in this way, so monotonous and insipid that they blurred into meaningless smears of time until Sally realized that she literally did not _want_ to get out of bed because there was no longer anything worth getting out of bed _for. _And then she realized that it wasn't a _thing_ she was looking for, but rather a _who_. And despite her reasons, which she had respected at the time, and her independence, which she was now so sick of that she would almost welcome servitude, she was tired of being on her own and she longed for someone to rely on. To be relied on. And it wasn't just anyone she was looking for.

She wasn't really aware of thinking to do so, and without conscious thought, she opened that journal that Poseidon had given her, such a long lifetime ago. It remained as pristine and virginal as before. Except now, she had no qualms against writing in it, and with a fluid steady hand, she wrote the words she had been waiting all those lonely weeks to be ready to write.

"It's time. I'm ready. I need you now."


	9. Touch

**A/N: Enjoy! (Reviews will justify my guilt over putting off studying to write this :O )**

It wasn't anything like the summer was, not really. Their touches had lost the naïve bliss of honeymooned lovers. They were now hungry and desperate, as if they both knew their time could be cut short at every minute.

That first night, Sally had nearly forgotten what it was like to be with him. The ecstasy that had flooded her entire being, filled her with purpose again, made her toes curl. She was hungry for him to be everywhere at once, for him to touch her everywhere, for him to feel her as she felt him. His very presence intoxicated her and drove her mad. She couldn't even be near him without needing to feel his touch, even just his fingers grazing her own, although that was never enough.

After the initial pleasure, she began to feel embarrassed of being so desperate for him. Was she really this lonely and eager that she couldn't even restrain herself? Her anxiety made her more aware of him, however and she found that he was the same way. His hands were always twisted in the long curls of her hair. His fingers trailed up here bare thighs and rested in the hollows of her hips. He would trace kisses down the ridge of her neck, while she inhaled the salty musk of him.

For so long they didn't say anything. They let their hands do all the talking, expressing the emotions and apologies they would never be able to verbalize. And when they would stop, long enough to catch their breath, when one of them would feel like it would be the civilized thing to try and define what exactly they were doing, they other would end their protests with furious kisses. Silencing any further talk on the matter.

He whispered in her ear one night, "It's very imperative this be kept a secret. No one must know. Especially not Zeus." Briefly, the absurdity of the statement seemed to occur to her. That she would tell Zeus, who she was not on speaking terms or even acquaintances with, or why she would even want to share their secret, seemed like a warning that only the most serious of statements should warrant. But her thoughts were soon distracted by his wandering hands, wandering to just the right spots, making her shudder under his touch.

They sat in bed one morning, the hazy light casting eerie shadows across the barren walls. Poseidon traced shapes on Sally's back and she hummed into her pillow.

"It's dangerous for us to be together, isn't it." She whispered, knowing he would hear her.

Poseidon was quiet for quite some time, his presence only betrayed by the constantly feel of his fingers against her skin. "It was always a risk but I took the necessary precautions. However, I got a bit, reckless, after you left." His hand stopped and he sat up pulling her up with him. "It's my fault. I let my anger get the best of me. I let my temper roam unchecked and I got angry with Zeus. I said some things, and he got… suspicious. We just have to extra careful." He looked up at her worried expression and smiled slightly, touching the frown lines that had formed between her eyebrows. "He will never find out." He whispered, taking her face in his hands, his lips finding hers. "I promise you, Sally Jackson."

...

It wasn't elation that had replaced her disparity but rather, a sense of peace and security. Which was ironic since this was not what she would call a secure or reliable situation. Poseidon's involvement became a regular occurrence in her life, which she had realized had become split into two separate pieces. Her work life, mundane and monotonous, and her home life, spinning with unreal heightened sensations, both physical and emotional.

There was always a moment, as her hand hovered poised over her doorknob where she would fear that he would not be there. The same feelings of uncanny fear that she would realize this was all some horrible dream or hallucination would wash over her leaving her in a state of anxious worry. Her heart would frantically beg her to turn around, to keep from discovering the truth, and she would force herself to open the door before she could think better of her decision. And he was always there, waiting for her. He would be sitting at her warped table, fingers arched, reading a newspaper, looking so mismatched and out of place. His smile would split across his face, creasing the smile lines around his sea-colored eyes, and her name would melt inside his mouth.

The months passed on in this way. Her days slow, waiting for her nights. Her nights spent with him. Her days passing, trying not to think about what he was doing or who he was doing it with. Her nights savoring his every touch, his every word, desperate to cling to any part of him that she could call her own.


	10. Nausea

**A/N- Enjoy! :)**

Sally woke up with the palpable feeling of intense dread, like a premonition. It swarmed over her, so overwhelming, that she actually got out bed to puke.

It was so humiliating, kneeling over the toilet, her hands holding back her wild curls, coughing and sputtering sick. She thought back to the night before, not remembering drinking too much. She certainly didn't feel hung-over. She leaned over the toilet as another wave of nausea overcame her.

The sound of footsteps brought on intense humiliation to join her feelings of confusion, sickness, and impending doom.

"Sally?" She couldn't place the tone of his voice. It seemed odd. Not concerned or worried but more… horrified.

She peeked up at him from under the curtains of her hair. He stood just outside the bathroom threshold, wearing nothing but a sheet and a frown.

"I'm so sorry! God this is so humiliating. I didn't think I drank very much last night… Maybe it was the chicken… Can gods get food poisoning?"

He didn't smile at her joke, he just stared. Had she been paying more attention Sally may have noticed the blood drain from Poseidon's face, or his hands clench into tight fists, or his searching, wandering eyes and how they were frozen in an expression of slight, subtle terror.

"I don't think it was the chicken." He mumbled, almost incoherently before stumbling out of the room.

...

After a long shower and a change of clothes, Sally felt more like herself. She resolved to take the day easy, with a cup of tea and a book. It was no longer her nausea that had concerned her. She still felt the queasiness deep in her stomach but what worried her most was the dread that still radiated like an ominous aura and Poseidon's odd behavior that resurfaced every time she closed her eyes.

She had expected to find her house empty, still marred by the strange events that had resulted in Poseidon's exit earlier but was surprised to find him sitting at her little table, lips pursed and brows furrowed, deep in thought.

He was unreadable, still like a statue. Deep in her thoughts she chuckled about how in some prestigious museum somewhere in the world, there probably stood a statue of the god himself, in a very similar position.

She slouched against the doorframe, unsure of how to approach him. A feeling that radiated through her told her that things were different than they appeared. It was all so strange, and she hated to misread the situation but she didn't want to underestimate the severity of whatever was troubling him.

"You look handsome when you're pensive." She murmured, just loud enough so he could hear her, quiet enough to let him ignore her should she be disturbing him.

He looked up at her in response, and she was surprised to find his eyes crumpled in grief. Worry hit her like an anvil, sinking to the pit of her stomach and she snapped out of her lax position poised against the door and rush over to him, concerned.

"I'm so sorry, Sally." He whispered. "I'm so so sorry."

"Shh Shh. It's ok." She was desperate to make him feel better. It was strange seeing him so vulnerable, like something forbidden. "It's ok. Whatever it is! It will all be fine!"

He ignored her. "I didn't mean for this to happen… I really didn't. I mean, I'm sure some part of me was hoping but I… It's so wrong, so terribly wrong! I've put you in danger. If anyone ever finds out! Oh gods, what have I done!" He rambled, and despite the nonsensesicle nature of his rambling, it did nothing to comfort Sally who suddenly began to fear the worse.

Only, she didn't know what the worst even was…

...

_This is ridiculous. _Sally thought idly, as she paced against the tiled bathroom floor. _SO fucking ridiculous. I can't believe he would think… Just RIDICULOUS._

_Or is it? _

She suddenly stopped pacing. _Maybe I only think it's ridiculous because I don't want to admit it might be true._ Sally looked into the bathroom mirror, surprised at the obvious fear that etched itself in her expression. Her face was pale, her curls splayed wildly, and her gray eyes were wide, her lips trembling ever so slightly. She clenched her eyes tightly together, praying, to whom she didn't know, but praying nonetheless. Then, without looking, she grabbed the stick off the counter and sauntered into the kitchen where she knew Poseidon was waiting for her.

"It will be fine. Everything will be fine." She muttered, unsure if she kept repeating the phrase out loud or simply in her head. _It will be fine. Everything will be fine._

_Fine._

Poseidon shook his head than immediately hid his face in his hands.

"Oh gods Sally I'm so sorry." His eyes seemed to show pity, as if he felt bad for her.

This, quite inexplicably made her angry. _Sorry? Sorry for what? _Then it hit her, he was sorry because this meant, for certain, that he would be leaving her. Abandoning her to do this on her own, because he was a Greek god and what should one more demigod, born of the sea, running around mean to him.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? Maybe this is what I want?" She suddenly set her jaw firm, with resolve. "In fact, it could be what want. I could be a mother. I would be a damn good mother! And I would be fine by myself, on my own. I could do it. You would never have to show up, I wouldn't want to be a _burden_ or whatever." She said these final words with such snap and sarcasm, trying to mask the tears that were threatening to surface.

"Sally."

"No it's fine really! You can leave! I won't be angry." The tears were falling free now. "I'm giving you an out! Just go! It's fine!"

"Sally." His whisper, so hurt and scared, brought her out of her reverie. "Sally, that's not why I'm sorry. Sit down. I need to tell you something."

**A/N: _NOW _We're getting somewhere... ****Reviews are like summer break! **


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